Yikes! Summer is flying by!
I have enjoyed spinning at the Great Falls Farmers Market with Lisa Schmidt of A Land of Grass Ranch. Lisa and her family raise grassfed lamb and beef in Conrad. She recently sent her Targhee wool to Zeilinger's Mill for duvets and mattress toppers.
Selling wool on a 95 degree day CAN be a challenge! But..... my wool comforter is the "game-changer" for sleepless summer nights in my bed! It wicks away sweat and keeps my body temperature regulated all night. And it is light as a feather.
We take our wool pillows with us when we travel--they make sleep in a different bed possible as they fit our heads just right and keep us comfortable in many ways.
So....I can always sell wool. It is a miracle fiber!
I have sold out my sheepskin rugs at the market but still have my handspun available as well as felt goods.I hope to be there most weeks until market's close in late September.
Last week, we had a week of unsettled thunder storm activity. But Saturday morning sparkled. However, dark clouds gathered about 11 AM growing intense. We started pulling the wool goods under the tent. As soon as the Market-ending horn blasted at noon-- the clouds burst a little deluge which cleared out the lingers and got the vendors packed in a jiffy!
We entered 3 of our best fleeces in the hand-spinning department of the Montana State fair in Great Falls. We took 3 blues, and sold the 2 natural color fleeces there.
That, coupled with market fleece sales almost cleans out the 2013 fleeces.
Left for sale is a gorgeous white lustrous fleece from our former ram, Cooper. His fleece won best luster-long-wool last year at the Trailing of the Sheep festival in Idaho. This year's fleece from Cooper looks just as nice. See the sales page for photos.
I recently enjoyed using my extractor from our former Washington wool mill as I cleaned and dyed 2 fleeces here at home. I love dying the fleeces while washing as colors go interesting directions in the process. A silver grey fleece from Bridget turned out a luscious purple when over-dyed. Those fleeces went to Sugarloaf Mill in Hall for roving.
Stay tuned for lovely Freisian rovings for sale!
